It's probably a safe assumption that there will be lead in the lower layers given the age of the house, I think---not even sure I'd bother to test it. (They do test for free here, though---I wouldn't be surprised if Portland does too.) Lead was in virtually all enamel/cabinet/trim paint before the late 60s. But you can still sand with the sponges---that's what they're designed for, in part. When they're wet, they'll contain the dust so that it's not all over the place; a mask will also help to make sure you're not breathing it, and then afterwards you wet mop to get up any bits of dust on the floor. We did the whole lead testing and education bit with our county last year, and it was super helpful. One of the more important things I learned was that while lead is icky stuff, it's largely a concern if it's eaten or inhaled in quantities, so you can do a lot to prevent that and to let older kids know to avoid chipping paint and wash hands after touching it. It's also less of a concern if it's a one-time project than if it's ongoing chipping, like with a window where someone's painted the sash so every time it opens or closes, fine dust comes down. Projects can be more easily secured so toddlers and pets are away from the work. The really important thing they drilled into us was that the surface of the paint needs to be intact---you don't need to remove lead paint, but you do need to have it covered with a good layer of new paint on top. It's worse to take some of it off and open up lower layers to chipping/flaking than just to leave them alone and paint over with good quality paint, unless you have the resources (time, energy and/or money!) to strip down to the bare wood. In your case, I'd only touch it enough to get it into paintable shape. The biggest problem we had was our dog---lead paint chips apparently smell/taste sweet, which is what attracts babies too. So we would constantly catch him snuffling in an area where work was going on, trying to find the chips. Finally just gave up on that and shut him out of the room all together till we were done!

I think Saypoint's railing is exactly what I'll have to do and remind the carpenter who installs it that I need to be able to unscrew the brackets (using a drill screwdriver) when moving. The inset handrail would unfortunately, be at least a $10,000 expense. Those are load-bearing walls, so the studs can't be notched out. We'd have to open up the wall, install a new beam to hold up the 2nd story floor and attic, etc. Then, in the basement, we'd have to add another beam, open up the stairwell down-- and add new footings to fit the weight distribution. It could even involve removing the stairs and reinstalling. I saw what's involved when my dining room doors were widened. An engineer had to specify the correct beams for the door and under the first floor, along with these huge iron footings/jacks to hold up the new support because they couldn't dig new footings in the crawlspace. I'll have to add the rail on the left because the right side has two 1939 -era HVAC ducts going up through the wall. I'd have to have one of those punctured. On the left, there's the closet at the front, and the pantry at the back. Thanks for all the creative and thoughtful responses!

If there aren't buried utilities near the surface of the area around the light pole, I would bring that soil level down some. That kind of high dome is difficult to keep watered and mulched. The front bed over to the left is too shallow, front to back and should be brought out as far as the base of the steps in order to have room to allow for something more than just a single row of plants crammed tight against the building. Since the area has been neglected for quite a while I would get a soil test done, add any supplements suggested, and dig in compost to the soil before replanting. Beyond that, we need better, more photos as GG48 suggested for any other landscaping comments. You will need to keep an eye out for wisteria sprouts from any remaining roots throughout the yard. You can either remove the sprouts often or paint them with herbicide which will kill them quicker. Architecturally, I don't think that the shutters are a plus on this home, especially since none of the other windows have them and they are quite narrow. I would most likely encase the poles holding up the porch roof with something a bit beefier; casings are made for this purpose. Consider whether you like the period detail of the railings or want something with a more traditional look vs. the current '50s-'60s look vs. something funkier from mid century. I would repaint the light post black and get matching fixtures for the house and light post. The current light on the house seems quite small. If you will be keeping the neutral gray and white color scheme, I'd probably paint the front door a bright, fun color. What will work may depend on what plants you choose. I agree that this home won't generally work as mid century modern, but it can be modified to a range of traditional looks, depending on siuch things as he choice of siding, window, trim, and color.

Omg calling a professional isn’t always an option! So y’all keeping on saying “call a professional” is just redundant. If you can’t afford to hire someone to come in and do it (probably why your here asking advice) then yes you can do it , your only limited to what you say you can’t do! You have been given good advice by all, follow any one of them! If you can afford it to be hired out then trust me do it! If you can’t then your only option would be skim it with putty and sand (watch YouTube) or to make it even more easy... buy new And rip that out! When filling lines trust me when I say thin thin layers. You might hate it and have to do again but it’s better than what u have at this moment!